Hello and welcome to Eyewitness Beauty, the podcast where we talk about the biggest stories in the beauty industry every week, each and every week. I am Nick Axelrod Welk, joined as always by Diamond Creekbomb, who's already puttering and futzing in the background. Sorry. - Diamond, how was the wedding? This is the post -wedding recap episode. - It was good, but I have horrible wedding anxiety now because I, in hindsight, actually, I knew it when it was happening. I, two summers ago, I had gone to a lot of weddings. It was COVID, I had to open the world. up and I was seeing someone new and I was-- - Going to the weddings with them. - Date to all of the cousins' weddings, all of the friends, whatever. All of my friends from college and high school, none of them are married. So like, I'm not like a wedding girlie. I'm not like your bridesmaid. I like don't, I've never, I've maybe gone to six weddings before. before, two years ago in my life, and then suddenly it was like 10. And I didn't realize that there were so many rules around what you can wear to a wedding. Like obviously I know not to wear white or anything that looks like a wedding dress, but a real rule not to wear white to a wedding. Like, but if as long as it's not a wedding dress, you definitely can't wear like a white dress to a wedding. Because also like think about like a modern wedding. the bride is not always wearing a ball strapless ball gown anymore from you know you're a wang or whatever anyone they really just blend in a humble bride but there's also rules like you're not really supposed to wear red and what do you know I'm like wearing I like ordered in a lie I read Count. - An Aliyah? - An Aliyah? - It's from Clueless, continue. - What? They say, "Ota Wada about Aliyah." I thought it was, "Get on the ground." - Yeah, when she's like, "Get on the ground," and she's like-- - But it's Aliyah. - And he's like-- - Oh, I don't, I don't-- - An Aliyah, and she's like, "It's a very important designer." It's not-- that true? Maybe you're right. But that sounds like a sarcastic response on some more like Josh or her dad. True. Maybe it's in there somewhere. I don't know. I just remember. I'm looking. Hold on. I'm just pausing. Yes, you have a number of a cab company. Which one? I don't know which one. What do you have out here? We have valley cabs. Hand it over. Give me the phone. Okay. Okay. Back to... Come back! Are you gonna get sued for this? Get down on the ground. Face down. Come on! Oh, no. You don't understand. This isn't a liar. In a whatta? It's like a totally important thing. designer. -I will totally shoot you in the head. Get out. -OK, so it's really not that important of a detail other than that anybody who knows about a Lyah dress is like, they're very tight. So I'm walking on this tight red gown with kind of a plunging neckline, but I didn't have-- -It sounds inappropriate for a wedding across the board. I don't know if it's the color. -It was like a-- Hollywood wedding, you know, like it was like young Hollywood. This is your dad's wedding to his second wife. No, no, no, this was a wedding. This is I'm just going and remembering all the times where I wore like Joe. Oh, we're just on the topic of weddings. Got it. And then, oh, and then. The guy I was seeing at the time invited me to LA. He was like, come to LA, we'll have so much fun together. Didn't tell me that there was a family wedding that weekend. So I didn't. bring a dress. And I also like wasn't invited, which is totally fair. We had just started dating and I didn't know, you know, his cousin, it was very nice. And she was nice enough to be like, Oh, Annie should just come anyway. So I go to the like, after the ceremony, I go to the after party, and I'm wearing like a black like not not I wasn't dressed appropriately for that wedding either. And that was like my first impression I felt like, but everybody was super nice about it. Like, I didn't think but it just like adds to the times where I fucked about a wedding and then the worst one was when he told me that his brother's wedding was black tie and so I get like a rhinestone like gown and I should have like I should have really used some context clues here because it was like a beachside wedding and like the hand and I'm wearing a black dress with a big pink satin bow and like rhinestone trim. It was like when Gucci did like their like Hollywood fashion show, I'm pretty sure it was like a sample from that show. I didn't pay like retail price for this. But I was like, I was like, yes, and he like saw the dress before and he was like, love that one. Yes, like he was like really gasping. You can't trust a guy. Yeah. No. And then and then they're nice enough to like include me in the hair and makeup at the wedding, his sister -in -law and like family. family and I'm seeing what everybody's wearing and I'm just like everybody's in chiffon pastel and I'm there and like In the daytime I'm picturing like I'm picturing like a cachet Like prom dress that you're like wearing with like like spaghetti straps and there's no No, it was like it was a nice dress if it was actually a black tie wedding, but it wasn't it was like Nobody was in tuxes. It was just it was linen suit beachside. Got it. Got it. Well, then so did the invitation not say black tie? That's the other thing. I think they probably were like, what's Annie's address? And there was no no communicator on that. And so I didn't actually like. So we had we didn't actually get eyes on the invitation. So yeah, so it was my fault. Listen, I'm going to take I'm going to take full responsibility. It's my body, my my choice. So but it's embarrassing. And I wonder if my life would be different had I chosen the right outfits for these weddings. And most recently, I wore black, which I feel like is the stupidest rule of all, like apparently not supposed to wear black to a wedding. So you can't wear black, red or white. No, apparently not. But like, what does that have to do with? I think red is like a little bit of a at me color And so it's like it's like you can't tempt the groom Right I Don't know it's probably something about that. I'm sure it is it's definitely like misogyny coated But it's it's I think I think it all goes back to like letting the bride shine But I'm also like she's gonna everybody's gonna be looking at her no matter what like nobody's looking at like like I Never just thought crossed my mind like oh, I'm gonna be like start the show here Like up another wedding another God I had a question I was thinking about something when you worked at exo Jane Like whatever the modern equivalent of that is would you? be considered a content creator? - I don't know, that's such a funny question because at XoJane specifically, they indoctrinated the hate towards the word content. - It's the worst word. - Yeah, they were like, we don't write content, we do stories. (laughing) And so that's kind of my... - But probably like the people who came up with the word article probably think that the word stories is like how we think of content. You know what I mean? Well, I think the people that came up with the word article would probably like agree that nothing on exo gene counted as an article. And they're probably dead. They're probably fucking dead. But I hate the word content. It just it's this it's this dry like marketing speak for like, you know, whatever the creative department thinks up. Good something. some engagement. It's like it's like a comma. It's like it's a commodity. It's not like it's an art. It's like you fill something with content. It's not like you like it is. It is like the most catch all term in the. Yeah. It's actually a really condescending term. Yeah. It's like literally content could be like the polyfill in your like shitty like face jacket. Like that's content. It's not like it's a commodity. Isn't that called content? Yeah, like you're the content dog on your like fucking free T -shirt, like content, like it's just the most contents. It's like literally what is in it. It's just like the thing that fills something else. Yeah, it's just it's just a cell and a spreadsheet. That's what I love about. That's what I love about like working with them, like people that don't get it, like whether it's in marketing or just finance or whatever, and they're like, how much money or how much content do you think you're putting out? Sorry, you're asking me to quantify the like very fickle nature of getting people to interact with me online across like 20 different channels and then also you're asking me to like start putting content out on five new ones. Like we just want to test them out. learn But yes, here we are creating content No, but what I was also thinking about I was thinking about the word content creator And then I was also thinking about a big no for me And I hope this doesn't come across as negative is people self -described influencers who also use it as like a a It guess it's a very verb, like, oh, like, I do influencing full time. Wait, are we talking about the word influencer or content? Well, content creator. Yeah, but are they describing themselves as content creators or influencers? This is an important distinction. I think the more like evolved content, you know, I think the more evolved influencers self identify as content creators. but I think that the more crude influencers think that the word "influencer" is like a career. It's a career. I was going to say it is one of the things on Raya, which by the way I have a corrections corner that is Raya related, that is one of my doonies. do not pass go, like the self -described content creators. These are my rules on Raya. Burning man pick, automatic no. Private jet pick, automatic no. Like, sorry, if you have to, like, document yourself in a private jet, it's probably the only time you've been in a private jet. And also put it on your dating profile. You can also rent a set of a private jet in LA for, like, by the half an hour. hour. I just it just really so those are my three. I think those would be my big three. OK, ready for products of the week. I'm just getting ahead of myself. Top stories. Let's go. So a little peek behind the curtain when Annie and I record this podcast, we have a document that we put all the links or like the most important. important elements of the stories we want to talk about. Most of Annie's this week are not necessarily beauty related, so I thought we could start with a beauty related top story. Why are you like dragging me for doing work? No, you did do work and I am proud of you. Okay. Okay, Amorous, the biotech company that a few years ago pivoted to creating consumer beauty products with celebrities. They declared bankruptcy a few months ago. I think we talked about it on a previous podcast. It's a San Francisco -based biotech startup. They had created a vegan squalane or vegetarian. They just not made out of shark extract or whatever actual squalane, I think it's vegan. They created, I want to say, it's like a sugar -derived squalane, and they became an ingredient supplier to Estee Lauder, et cetera, et cetera. They started making a lot of money with that, supplying that ingredient. Then they started, the CEO, the then CEO, started developing all these beauty companies including Bioson, a brand of hair care for textured hair called For You by Tia, by Tia Mowry, a brand with Naomi Watts for menopause. Costa Brazil, they bought from Francisco Costa, Costa, maybe Costa Costa. They fully acquired it? Yeah, pipette. This is years ago. This is not the news, Andy. you're gonna freak out No, no, I know it's not the news no no cuz we talked about this before Yes, hi pet a baby line, etc. Etc. Etc. Rose, Inc. Rosie Huntington's Makeup line anyway, they went bankrupt. They just had a fire sale this week for all of the brands and the numbers that These brands are going for I think really really says it all. Okay? So four amorous brands, including Biosance, sold at auction. This is according to a Women's Wear Daily article. Biosance sold to THG Beauty, which is formerly known as the Hutt Group. They own Cult Beauty and look fantastic, and Paracone, MD, and... a brand called Espa. Guess how much they paid? Sorry, this is for which brand again? BioSense, the Sephora Clean Skincare brand. Two million? 20. Okay. So then maybe that's not so bad. That's a good one. No, that's pretty... For you by Tia Mauri. I mean, no, but when you talk about the valuation of your company, usually when you go out to raise money, like... like, I don't know, somebody like Biosons, where they're like, we have like a patented ingredient and a technology that nobody else can have that ups your value. I'm sure they went out and raised money, like before they even had a business saying that their business was worth 20 million. So that's actually not a good return. - Okay, ready? - I mean, they didn't see, nobody saw a return on that is the point. - For you by Tia, the Tia Mallory brand of haircare hair care that's in Walmart sold for $600 ,000. - Holy shit. Okay, that's really bad. - There's a brand called Menolabs, the women's health and technology company, paid Dr. Reddy's. Some company called Dr. Reddy's paid $3 million for that. HRB brands paid $1 .75 million for pipette, the clean - - One point. .75 million. - baby care brand. - Yeah, and Francisco Costa bid $350 ,000 to buy back his brand, Costa Brazil, in October. I don't know whether that actually was accepted or not. - So nobody knows the fate of Costa right now? - Correct, as well as the fate of... of JVN by Jonathan Van Ness did not sell. No one bought it, meaning no one bought it. Yeah. And they're in Sephora. They're in Sephora. Nobody bought Rose Inc. Also in Sephora. You guys, everyone needs to be paying attention to like what I think, but extrapolate on what this means. Nobody bought Naomi Watts. Nobody bought Naomi Watts as menopausal beauty brand strikes extrapolate on what this means. means. I respect Sephora a lot. I think if you go into Sephora, they expect a lot of the brands that go into Sephora to make themselves successful. They will support a brand as much as the brand will help itself. You know what I mean? That's not saying that Sephora is a bad partner, but it's also like, I've actually heard that Ulta is more like - - It's a lot of work. - I would say Ulta, I've heard as well. more sinker swim to their brands than Sephora is definitely like we're a partner with you, but you have to work your ass off. That tells me that, well, obviously, JVN, because they have to share the numbers with potential investors or buyers. And so the numbers must not be good. They must not be moving out Sephora, which is crazy. Because I think, you know, when you see a brand go into Sephora, or especially that like on and have their own shelf or in cap in Sephora, you think, wow, they must be doing really well, apparently not. And I had heard that JVN was doing well. Yeah. But I mean, I guess something is only as valuable as how much someone else is willing to pay for it. And right now, like these are distressed assets that no one's really has a clear vision on how to do it. turn around. I think the other issue, which I've long felt, is Rosink and JVN are both named after their founder, their celebrity founders. They're like synonymous with Rosie and JVN. And if I'm looking to buy a beauty company, am I going to get into a mess where where I might not even, at the end of the day, have the celebrity access to the celebrity to promote the brand? Like, who knows whether when they were selling these assets, what the deal, like what the contract was with JVN or with Rosink. So meaning, I buy Rosink, I'm not buying Rosy. Like, Rosy, who knows whether Rosy has to show up if I decide I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta or I'm going to take it into Alta. into Target Or wherever I want to do with the brand to save it or to make my money back Like who knows what the deal is so I think that having a celebrity so prominently Featured in a brand can be a liability in that Anyone who's gonna buy this company is thinking hmm. I could buy this brand, but am I buying JVN? I'm not really buying them them. I'm buying, you know what I mean? And then what do I have if I don't have the celebrity? The whole concept of how of scaling this like celebrity business and like there's even entire funds that I would say quite unsuccessfully try to attach celebrities to brands. Not speaking of what you're doing, Nick. And that's the problem. that they sell to their partners. And it very rarely comes through fruition. And if it does, it's like very messy and can end up like this. Also too, like there are people that I thought would be great spokespeople for certain brands. And then you find like, fucking Jonah Hill is a misogynist and like controlling asshole. And I like even like, uh, seemingly what, what, what beauty, what beauty. beauty brand did Jonah Hill was he a spokesperson for? None. I'm just saying like in the past I've like pitched ideas like around like, oh, this would be like a good celebrity to attach to a brand like their. Yeah. The world of problems is that like they do whatever they want. Yeah. Or they have like so many freaking skeletons in their closet. Even like, I remember watching like the NBA draft a few years and there was this player and I don't want to get into like. NBA. NBA. is like very dark. It's very, I don't know, it's not even that dark. But like, basically, there was a player recently that I was like, Oh, squeaky, squeaky clean, like Australian guy, super cute, like he would be great to like get in. He's like, not like, he's not like low bronze, or he could be like, kind of easy to partner with. No, he's fucking like, on Snapchat, like dating a girl who's 15 years old. And now like, they're like saying like, like, it's just allegedly a allegedly. No, I mean, interesting. It just shows you like where the market like where the market is right now, like what the dollar amounts are. I would have thought Bioson's at least like a hundred million dollars. I mean, I thought it was a pretty successful Sephora brand. It's but anyway, if the product isn't good. But didn't they have some cult products? Have you tried? Have you tried them? I mean, years ago, but not recently. I think Colt doesn't always translate to mass success. Yeah, true. If you don't make quality products, good products, like it's just, I mean, we talked about this last week or two weeks ago with Beyonce, like she has had several failed brands, you can't like put all the responsibility on the celebrity to true. The product has to stand. by itself and speak for itself. All right. Next story. Speaking of major celebs. Taylor Swift is times person of the year. Did you see the photos? I did. And as in venude with her cat on her back, which I kind of liked. Oh, I think they look great. I agree. And she's doing a helmet Newton. I just have a thing about. just have a thing about Taylor Swift where I don't not like her, but ambivalence is the best word to describe. I just like don't care. And I don't not care. I just don't like, I don't care. - I mean, she's like government style. - I mean, kind of, but it's like, like I don't understand why the richest, most famous, and successful, successful and talented musician in the world you know asterisk asterisk asterisk is like parading around like these like football games like with someone who just started dating like I don't get it but like why she's so successful because she's middle America she is mass she is that is what the people want they want they want to Travis Kelsey they want a Tom Brady they want a fucking Aaron Ross They like, that's America. And-- - So I'm basically the, I'm not her audience. - No, no. - But like people that I respect, like Las Colch people throughout the world, including Bowen and Matt Rodgers, like they love Taylor Swift. - Yeah, it's something that I respect. as a listener of their podcast. Yeah, I know. It's something that I have to like. And I'm just like, I'll try to, I mean, I'll be like, okay, I'm gonna listen to Taylor's version. I'm gonna do, I'm gonna do it. And then I'm like, it's like riding in a car with your best friend. He's a, it's like, what? I snuck in, when I, when I read the lyrics, it's like, I snuck in through my garden gate to seal my fate. What? Did you just go into your rhyme zone and just look up words that rhymed with gate? Like this is people treat her like she's Bob Dylan like she's some like incredible lyricist. I know, I know. She's a she's still that 15 year old girl. I mean, I guess what is what is what she does is she like is one of the only pop singers who's like lyrics like tell a story and mean something versus like Ariana Grande, who I love much more than I love Taylor. Taylor Swift. Like her, the lyrics themselves don't mean anything. Usually, you know what I mean? They're like more for the sake of the beat. I think you're forgetting. I think you're forgetting, Lana. I reject what you just said, actually. But well, but did you know there's a whole backlash about Jack Antonoff speaking of the Lana Del Rey of it all and Taylor Swift? She cut right because he. it produces both of them and some people say that like you can't like you at this point you can't really tell the difference between their songs except for like when they say oh please no another thing I'm rejecting you can't tell the difference between Lana and Taylor Swift there's there's a tick tock like apparently there's like a tick tock account where someone is like trying to it can say whether it's the Jack Antonov song but like it's on tick tock note all the morons in the world are on Tiktok. I tried to Tiktok the other day and it was just like it was they literally I realized how bad too hard for you. And who's the fucking moron? No, I realize how bad ADHD like how Tiktok is fueling the growth of ADHD. It literally had two Tiktok videos that had nothing to do with each other playing side by side. That was the content I was fed. It was like, oh, I love those ones. It's like. it's like ASMR and then next to like a podcast interview. It's like someone cutting through like, like Styrofoam. Oh, I love those. This is what I'm saying. It's like, you can't just consume one thing. No, it hits both pleasure centers of your brain. And that's how the Chinese are going to come in. And I mean, the government and takeover. Here's my thing about that. If you you want my personal information so they already have it. Have at it. What do you want? What do you want? You want to see naked pictures? Go ahead. I know the naked picture saying I'm like listen if it happened to some of the most leading lady beautiful women on earth like yeah much like we said in a previous episode that if you don't want to be quoted, don't be interviewed. If you don't want a naked picture out in the world, don't take a naked picture. I think that - This only goes for selfies. Revenge porn, deep fake porn, all that stuff. I am firmly against and will fight against. Personally, I'm against anyone under 18. Oh, yes. But it's 18. obviously 18 is the wall 16 to 18 is is the age of consent? But should that also like in terms of sex? But should that also be is that also the age of consent for taking naked pictures of yourself? There's been I think that that is a question in culture. There's been a lot of court cases around like our kids liable for. Oh, porn if they take a picture of their girlfriend. their girlfriend or something like that. Yeah. Anyway, dark, dark. Back to Taylor in these photos. I will say I don't like how she's rubbing her bang privilege in everybody's face. What's bang privilege? She can look good in bangs and without bangs. And I think that that's like, ultimately, what we're seeing here is that, and ultimately, I think when I think about Taylor Swift and why she's so appealing to the masses, and I think about... other banged celebrities, the Zooey Deschanels, the, you know, it's bangs. They're selling this fantasy that you will look good with bangs. And I think a lot of women respond to that and they, they follow, they become like disciples of Taylor Swift because they think like, look, she looks good with bangs without bangs. Like I should try bangs. And it's like. do you know what I'm saying? Yeah I mean I feel like bangs for girls the equivalent for men is like bleaching your hair. Like you're never gonna get the captain of the football team and you're never gonna look good with bangs. That's something that we all have to accept in life and also the captain of the football team like who cares he's like Tim Riggins like bonehead. Yeah Yeah, that's smart. But I but and then I think that then I when I start thinking about that and I think about how Taylor Swift's lyrics are not incredibly intellectually intellectual. And I think and then I look at Travis Kelsey's like stupid tweets or whatever. I'm like, maybe they are maybe this is a real relationship. Maybe this isn't set up by the Biden administration. I mean, I don't I don't think it's necessarily like a Biden administration. thing. No, it's CIA. It's CAA No, I think it's much simpler than any of that. I think Russia. It's what it's why? JLo and Ben Affleck called the paparazzi Like two of the most famous people in the world Who do not need nor at this point probably benefit from any more like that additional amount of press Can't like can't not Or something like they live in the public eye and like in order to live they need to be In the public eye because like JLo and Ben Affleck have been going to the opening of an envelope together kissing on the red carpet like if your Ben Affleck is one thing if you're JLo the amount of prep and prep and like shit you have to do to go to an event is like takes forever and it's not fun and you're wearing an uncomfortable dress and uncomfortable shoes and people are coming up to you and putting their hand on your, you know what I mean, like, don't you just want to be in sweats at home? I don't think she does. Like Jennifer Aniston is never on the red carpet unless she has something to promote. So J .Lo lives on the red carpet. carpet but she's so famous and those pictures that like this past summer of uh it'd be like J .Lo and Ben walking in the middle of like a ha like an empty Hamptons road like paparazzi. I'm like this is so clearly these are so clearly staged photographs but like they're so famous. Anyway all which is to say I think it's like sort of the same thing where like with Taylor she grew up in with fame and I think she doesn't know any different. So you're saying like the paparazzi are her like lifeblood? Or no, like I think that the public attention on her relationship makes it feel real to her. That might be the deepest thing that we've ever encountered on this podcast. I think that's like a there's no other explanation for why she would not just go in a side entrance. - Yeah, 'cause she's so open with everyone about through her songs, about like all of her relationships. She likes to dig up things from the past. She likes to have people speculate, give them breadcrumbs. And yeah, that's, I think maybe you're right. The paparazzi is like a way for her to communicate with everyone, like look how I'm doing. - I am. it validates her own sense of Like this is a real relationship. See there's pictures of it people care about it. This is real. You know what I mean? like it's all sort of like a Everything's feeding Everything else. Well, I know as we can kiss Minnetta Tavern goodbye because you're never gonna be able to get a table there ever again Because is that where they've been going? Yeah, they that's where they had like a whole like that's a she took like the girl gang one night. - Oh, like the Sophie Turner of it all. - And Selena Gomez, you know. - Okay, anyway, what else do you have? - Sorry, I need a break, that was like, that was a lot. - Take a walk around, okay. This was exciting news that came out this morning to me, which was, was Ariana Maddox, the scorned breakout star of Vanderpump Rules, come dancing with the stars for Front Runner, has been announced as, you guessed it, the next Roxy Heart in Chicago. Which leads me to the question, what is the meaning, what is the role role of the role of Roxyheart in modern society? Like what is it about playing Roxyheart that is meaningful in the realization of a, shall we say, totem of our society in today's world? I'm just pulling words out of a grab Why does everyone say Roxy Hart? Okay, because it is the one show that has a very easy stunt casting ability to like cycle in and out people and Like I don't think it's not like son time. We're like, you know, like you is it in New York to learn that? the songs? Yes, it's on Broadway. Okay. I mean, no, the play is called Chicago because it takes place in the city of Chicago, which is in Illinois. This is like, I know, and this is what's confusing. I know. I know. Okay. So yet the play is on Broadway in New York. I think that the reason why there's always fans who are playing Roxy Hart is but like Celest famous Celest famous. Yes. Well, because I mean, I don't think it's a fun job seven days or whatever, like seven performances a week. Like, you know, did you know that the median household income of the average Broadway theater goer is like $250 ,000? Really? Isn't that insane? Yeah, that is. But like, have you ever been backstage at a Broadway theater? Yes, actually, I have. I interviewed the makeup artist. They're tiny. it's it's not nice. It's not like cushy. There's not like a fun little green room. It's Harry Potter and Dobby and the stairs. Yeah, it's not nice. So like even the nicest theater is not nice. So I just don't think it's appealing unless you're like the star of a really important cool show. And that part, you don't really have to be able to sing to do it. Like you can you have to like carry a tomb, but it doesn't it's not like playing alphaba and wicked or something where like you have to really be able to sing your heart out right and it's like you get to tap dance and it's sort of like fun and sexy now here's another question what is the role of cameo in modern society we had a reader a very i mean she was dialed in, Olivia Green sent us, George Santos was immediately on cameo after he got expelled from Congress. - I thought it was AI at first. - Yeah, I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at, but I shared it immediately. - And then it turns out, yeah, it turns out it was not AI, it's real, which is so funny. What he's like saying, he's he is he loves it. He loves the he loves this character that he has become. His price went from like $75 to like $150 per cameo. And now it's at press time $400. Yeah, I wonder what he's going to get at Sephora. I noticed he was wearing like a $100. berry lip stain and some of the photos that I posted, like a matte. Probably-- I bet he has an hourglass girly. Well, he needs something long, luxury, and long lasting that does feel like hourglass. I don't know. Is he not going to go to jail? No, I don't think he was charged with any crimes. I think he just-- Oh, wait, was he? Yeah, fell on his right. No. No, am I making this up? - I mean, I don't know. Listen, people don't come here for the politics. Here's what I think it is. - Listen, we're not the judicial system. - He got kicked out of Congress because of all these things that he misappropriated funds. He used other people's credit card. He was basically the genshaw of Congress. And I think he got kicked out of Congress. things that he misappropriated funds. And I think he got kicked out of Congress because of all these was enough to expel him from his congressional seat and I has to be enough to put him in jail but I think that proceeding will take much longer but I like is it okay to get a cameo is it okay to put money in George Santas's pocket to get a cameo from him because it's making fun of him in a way or is it not okay? Ethically. My philosophy on this is money isn't real, so spend away. If that's what's going to bring you peace. Or like give you a little bit of happiness in the darkness. Yeah, just ask yourself like, are you, who are you doing this for? Are you doing this for George Santos? Then I don't know, I don't think. Then don't. If I'm doing it for you, then that's your experience with it? That's what I'm doing. That's what I'm doing. care And it's not hurting anyone. No It's actually not. Yeah, it's really not because he doesn't have to steal from anyone. He's making an honest living. So This was a PR pitch. I think it was a pitch. I don't even know what it was a pitch for it wasn't a very good PR pitch But there is a study that just came out. This is actually according to Google Trends data, that surgery in Turkey, the search term surgery in Turkey exploded by 706 % in 2023. So, search searches for this term were up 700%, which makes sense because everyone on their mother is getting hair plugs in Turkey or nose jobs in Turkey. I guess, I mean, I guess the beginning and the end of it is that like you can get a good nose job or good hair plugs for, you know, $5 ,000 or $3 ,000 versus like $50 ,000 in the US, I think, right? That's why people are going there. It just seems like a bad idea because like if something God forbid goes wrong. - Yeah, but they sell you like a whole lot. package is like a vacation package. I've seen. Right. But like. Content creators post like travel vlogs where they're like, and this is no right. Yeah, and my boyfriend got hairplugs. Well, I got a nose job and a chin. They threw in a chin for free because I love Dr. Zemana for. Right. But did we learn anything from Jennifer Aiden? And her. her nose and chin job. I noticed you bring it back to Housewives so often. It's really the only content, talk about content, the only content I consume these days, but Jennifer Aiden, for those of you who aren't familiar, is a New Jersey housewife whose husband is a New Jersey plastic surgeon, Bill Aiden, and you would think that when she would get a nose job. and a chin implant, she would go to her husband, but her husband, I guess, will not perform surgery on her anymore. So she went to Turkey and she got what can only be described as a bad nose job and a bad chin job. I believe she took the chin out and the nose is still settling. I think women are really fucking up their jawlines. lines. I've said it. I think we need to stop with the buccal, buckle. Is it buckle or buccal, Nick? - I don't know. - We need to stop with the Botox, the masseters. Like fix the root cause. Why are you grinding your teeth? Don't treat the symptoms and with or away the muscles that will. cause the rest of your face above it to collapse And you'll look older in a few years and like not everybody needs a fucking Jay Leno chin like what are you doing? I Agree I also because Casey's in this field like have seen People in the field who will kind of give people what they want I feel like Casey is one of the only people that I've ever come across who will very happily turn someone away if he doesn't think that what they are saying they want is going to make them look quote -unquote better. Oh yeah, isn't he going to be attached to it? Yeah, and he like that's how he sees it and he would much rather not do it than give someone something bad. Harder Hard to agree. I mean It's also it's it's like a long term like the way he sees it. It's like all it's all long -term Treatment, it's not a short -term fix. So to your point about like, oh if we keep on Botoxing like this I'm pointing to like my upper face then that might cause over 10 years Something else muscle atrophy exactly so like you want to go to someone for any of these things who's thinking long term Anyone who's gonna do a nose job on like a 16 year old. I would walk away from But that that's a tale of your face changes I'm sorry, but like I think we forget like 16 year olds getting nose jobs was it has been happening what since the 70s 60s no of the 1670s Thank you. Thank you for like checking me on that. I needed it. Yeah. Yeah. I know. So here are the other, here are the other search terms. These are now search terms in the US. One of the biggest of 2023 was mommy makeover. That was a 529 % increase over the past five years. years. And the #MommyMakeover on TikTok reached 1 .1 billion views. And Brazilian ButtLift is one Botox, lip filler, liposuction, and microblading. I don't know, guys. That's so much. I mean, you're going to probably spend a lot of the second half of your life, like in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals. It's why are we, why are we doing that to ourselves earlier than we need to? I'm scared, like it makes me scared to get older now because women feel the need to go get like drastic surgeries when things happen to them that happen to everyone. And instead of making me, feel like, oh, like 50 is the new 30. I'm like fuck, like am I gonna-- - Like this is what you'll have to get done. - To feel okay? - Yeah. - Honestly, as my parents like to say, no matter where you go, there you are. - It's freaky. That's why I've become, I'm excited to announce today, a gem rat I'm gonna be the sinewy Pilates bitch 60 years old making content. I think you Follow this one. Well the one thing though is you have to wear sunscreen more often than you do you have to stop sunbathing That's so mean. Do you think it shows you have to it will look like a baby? It hasn't done. I know what you won't but it happens really fast, but don't you? you agree? I should have more sun damage than I do. - I mean, but who knows? We need to get one of those black lights and then I can answer that question. - Casey's never mentioned anything, so we'll leave it at that. But there's this woman I follow who has the hottest bod and her name is Michelle. Her name is Michelle La from Bois. - She is your menopause bestie, Pilates instructor. and registered nurse, women's metabolism and hormones. And then she has a 25 % off skin care code in her bio. - The other things we just very, very quickly wanted to touch on. Belenciaga show in Los Angeles, my city. Here's my hot take. Belenciaga has jumped the shark. - Reducted. - To come to Los Angeles to stage a show. and you have pink matching fucking Juicy Couture sweatsuits and and coffee and Erwan groceries. It's like Tiktok did this like four years ago, five years ago. And guess what? Like Jeremy Scott, like this has just been done. Didn't Gucci just do it? I don't know. Everyone it's just so obvious and low hanging fruit. And I guess I Lauren. Sherman, the fashion writer who has a really wonderful twice weekly newsletter with Puck, shout out to that newsletter. It's called Line Sheet. What's Puck? It's a sub -stack started by a journalist that was covering Hollywood, and now Lauren Sherman does the fashion part of Hollywood. Anyway, she was saying is that what you can't see in the TV. is how incredible and immaculate like the tailoring of everything was that walked down the runway. She was there. But I think like that notwithstanding, the, it just, it just felt so Jeremy Scott for Moschino from 2010. Like it just like, it was not interesting. It was not modern. It didn't make you think. And I also think it's crazy that, like, do you remember when he had, like, all of these hints, all of these winks, dog whistles about, like, essay and we talked about it on the pod, child, like abuse, like all that stuff in all of it, like, multiple campaigns, multiple campaigns. Oh, OK. They there there was two campaigns that, like, there were, like, books or whatever. like, you know in the corner that were related to something quite sinister he apologized he blamed it on the set decorator who had clearly nothing to do with it. He was just going off a shopping list and Now everyone's back with with Demna Kim's back like remember she didn't wear it for like a few months like the it was like are we gonna really stand up against this and it was like oh no or not actually Yeah, I mean that's Hollywood and he also did it He also did the he staged the show in Hancock Park, which if you know Los Angeles is like Very classic Hollywood like where there's like a lot of big Tudor mansions like very sort of old Hollywood To me if he was gonna actually do this the right way way, he would stage it on like Rodeo draw, you know, like it would be Beverly Hills, which is like more synonymous with this like over the top, vapid thing that he was trying to conjure. Yeah, I'm really just uninspired with fashion right now, except for we'll get to this after. We'll we'll foil this with a fun fashion thing after. Oh my god, can I say one fun fashion? thing quickly? - No. - Guess who has a pair of Ugg Ultra Minis now? - You didn't always? - Evie. - Oh, Evie. They make them in her size. - I got, they make them in her size. Anyway, continue. - Will you post a pic? - Yeah. - Another thing I'm kind of, it's a fashion just because. so reductive and it's weird to me that like I'm like the reason that high fashion exists couture is to influence the The plebians of the world like it's a trickle down effect trickle down economics with ideas and we all saw we all saw the deadwars product however What is happening with? Balenciaga doing this like shitty juice couture referencing like fashion show in LA to what is the deal with Bottega? I actually got this confused earlier. You pointed out very carefully that Balenciaga and Bottega are two different brands. But Bottega's new campaign is just, I think it was shot by Blackgrid, like the paparazzi conglom - - Blackgrid, yeah. - Yeah, agency. Is it Blackgrid or Blackgrid? - I think it's Blackgrid. - It's a campaign of... who is it, A $AP and Kimble Jenner just like just walking on the sushi part going like carrying like within also and and it's it's been done because every fucking like French influencer girly with a fashion brand has done a staged like paparazzi photo shoot or photo shoot either based off of that paparazzi campaign that was shot by, what was that old vote? Myzell, Italian Vogue. Or based on the Caroline Bissette Kennedy and RFK Jr. JFK Jr. Sorry, JFK Jr. Not RFK. Paparazzi photos. And there was even a brand, I was so darked out by this, that did an AI version of it, which really creeped me out. I posted about it on Meta and I was just like, and also like, it was weird. She did like the way she did. she, I'm like, what terms did you put into? Oh, chat, gbt. Yeah, chat, gbt to, to make this model. Like where you like, ethnically ambiguous, like, but also looks like Angelina Jolie. Probably yes. Um, it was just like, I don't know, it's just weird to me. And you're also not paying people to create these images, which also freak, like, it just doesn't feel like as content creators, as content creators. it feels a little selfish. - Anyway, here's what I'll say. Do you remember when I was very disappointed that Rihanna announced her pregnancy with back -grid paparazzi pictures? - No, she had her friend shoot it. She had her friend shoot it. I know this for a fact. It wasn't paparazzi photos. - It wasn't? - No, she had her-- - But they looked like they were supposed to look like paparazzi photos, right? - No, her and Asa did like that couples photo shoot, remember? They just like did it on the street in New York. York, I think. - I thought, okay, yeah, maybe that, fine. But I thought it was sort of like the same idea where the industry is sort of taking back paparazzi pictures, which is ironic too, to come out with a shoot like that at the very time where people are watching the final episodes of "The Crown," which is the story of Princess Diana getting killed by the paparazzi. - Or nobody's watching them. the crown. I've heard everybody's like, I stopped watching the crown like two seasons ago. They like already jumped the shark. Oh, really? Well, in case you're still watching it. And I was like, this is just like, have we learned nothing? Now we're like, well, back to maybe celebrating. Maybe J .Lo and Ben are the, are Okatora in terms of like, vibes. Yeah, definitely. You're right. Vibes and influence. That's the name of this episode. episode, by the way, vibes and influence. Anyway, I'm just kind of like, what's going on? I'm not inspired. Even I'm trying to get a New Year's Eve dress. Impossible. They're all so cheap. They're not hot. They don't look like they would like, and speaking of tailoring, nothing's tailored anymore. It's all made in like, it's all fast fashion. It's just, it's just how much are you willing to pay for it? You know. Meanwhile, what about? Swarovski Skims? - We talked about it, not interested. - You don't wanna wear it? - No, that's what I'm talking about. - You don't wanna wear it? - No, no, I don't wanna wear it. I don't wanna wear like a, I don't mind a body condress, but it has to have structure and it has to have, the fabric needs to have weight to it. I'm not wearing like a little T -shirt dress. Like I'm not wearing like, I'm, right now I'm wearing an American Apparel strap. stretch poly blend poly cotton blend heathered tank and that that I were able to separate the art from the artist that I bought in. Well, I used to work there. So that I bought in when I used to work there or I got for free when I used to work there a million years ago. And so where like I don't need to now be paying $700 for self portraits version of that one. a few rhinestones like glued on like Give me I need like I need darts. I need you want to be inspired again Yeah, and how and all the good dresses are like $2 ,000. So I'm just like crazy. No, thanks. And it sucks. I really want to What it what are you doing for New Year's? Nothing Okay, Evie I I haven't even talked about My life as a parent in the last few episodes But Evie is now in a big girl bed meaning she's not in a crib aka like baby jail so she's free range and So she wakes up Multiple times a night and comes upstairs into our room and it's like a whole thing and we basically haven't slept in four months Wait, you don't look you don't look her in a room We tried this thing called a monkey lock which like is a plastic lock that kind of looks like a monkey Because it has like one curved hand that goes like inside the door and one that goes on like the door frame And so you can still like open it a little bit. It's not like a solid lock. Anyway, if he was like Screaming she was like don't lock me in don't lock me in." - She knew it was happening. - And we were like, we can't do this. What we said, like, we're gonna put this lock on. He said the room, like, and then we were like, "We're not, we can't keep the song." She's like, "Where's the key? Where's the key?" And then we like, at one point, Kasey did it, like, this was like one of the first times we were like, "If you don't stay in your room, we're gonna have to lock it." And so she like, came out again. So he like, held the door closed for a second. And she was like, "Rafi, help! Gene, help! Anyone help !" And we were like, "I love that." In a state of panic, she's willing to even call Rafi, who she like hits for help. "She's..." "Anyone help !" "Evy's like pure camp." "She is, she really is." "Like, when, last time we hung out, she..." remember her like little ghost Evie and with her little blanket That was the funniest. She's now in brilliant to being a witch and She thinks that witches say He he he he I guess they kind of do But it's like I don't think of a witch and I think he he he he I love that where she's going with her character. Just Look at me Okay Look at me sweating. Oh, I think it was all that like really like. Hardcore, like. Cultural conversation commentary that we were giving everyone. Should we do product of the week and then get the heck out of here? OK, my product of the week. Is. Compounded ozempic. - Compounded ozempic. - I just read that that's dangerous. - Why? - I don't know, the New York Times, I just read it in the New York Times that it can be dangerous too. 'Cause there's a lack of oversight. - Fine, so you need to go somewhere you trust? - Okay, explain what it is. I don't think everybody knows about compounding. - So essentially, obviously, ozempic is a drug that has a trademark. trademark or a patent on the name, you know, like the drug and ozempic and this is why like for a certain number of years, like a drug can only be the name brand, right? Like Vyvance this past year just became the trademark or the patent, whatever it is in pharmaceuticals expired. And so now all drug companies can make the chemical of Vyvanse available. - They're supposed to be. - But they haven't. There's not actually a generic of Vyvanse available yet. - Yeah, there is. I think like, oh no, you're right, you're right, you're right. But they're supposed to start doing it anyway. This happens with all the big drugs where like it, because at a certain point, it's obviously not one person should be able to make a drug. what is just a combination of ingredients. And Denmark is the place making Ozympic and Bogovia, I believe, and it apparently has completely transformed their economy. Really? I bet. I mean, so it's semi -glutide, which is the main thing in Ozympic, kind of ingredient, I guess, or like, yeah, ingredient. And for a while in California, it was fine. Like, you could go to a compounding pharmacy, which is where, say, you want to get an antibiotic turned into a cream as opposed to a pill. Like, you could go to a compounding pharmacy and they'll, like, make you the same level of antibiotic in whatever format. format you need it in. They have all the ingredients to make most drugs, and if you have a prescription, they could have made you ozempic. Then California, I guess, made that illegal, but certain doctors' offices can carry basically what is the active ingredient in ozempic. So it's it's like it's like the the white label was correct. OK, it's just it's like the raw material. It's like having a cup of caffeine versus having a cup of coffee, like the same level of caffeine, but like you're just not getting the coffee flavor. I guess. And why is it your product of the week? Is it hot in here is just me. It's my product of the week because. because Osempic this week They I just saw a study was released that showed that Osempic can also help curve alcohol cravings And apparently a way apparently maybe cigarette - but I just think that Osempic is still There's a lot of shame around people quote -unquote turning to Osempic or using Osempic for weight loss or for for weight maintenance, etc. I think we're coming to a place where there is enough supply for those who need it for diabetes, pre -diabetes, etc., as well as those who want it or need it for weight loss. What I find that ozempic has done for me, which is quieting all of the food noise and food anxiety. it doesn't you know make you enter it to me. For me, it hasn't made me not eat at all, but it just like quiets the anxiety that a lot of us that I have like lived with for many years. Also, I just think can be a helpful. I definitely found this when I first started taking it that I didn't have any alcohol cravings. And I think that that's like a really interesting and potentially potentially life -saving quality or side effect or effect that the drug can have, which as we're going into the holiday season is just something good to keep in mind, like ways to curb. If you struggle with alcohol, if you imbibe too much during the holidays, it seems to be support coming out that Osempic can help, which I just think is interesting. Compound Osempic is less than half the price of if you don't have a prescription, which most insurance companies are not covering it for weight loss or certainly not for alcohol addiction, I imagine yet. But if you can find a compounding pharmacy or a doctor in the state that you live in. in, and this is an issue for you, and you qualify, I don't know. I think it's interesting. Okay. So, the headline is, "Osympic helps with addiction," whether it be... It's a small -scale study, but the study that found that all participants had a clinically significant decrease in symptoms while they were using semi -glutide. Is it because you just feel sick? all the time? So the idea of like drinking is just not appealing? - I think yes. I think also it just quiets the noise, which some of it is, you know, it makes you less anxious, which also I think would make you drink less. - Okay. I like that. - Yeah. - I think. I mean, when drinking time comes around is a topochico with a little bit of bitters and a squeeze of lime, it feels like you're drinking alcohol. I like that. But, like, it feels like you're not left out, if that makes sense. And I feel like it makes others feel like you're not, like, killing the vibe, which I think is stupid. stupid if people like people want drinking partners to like What's the word I'm looking for validate their drinking and so if you or like I don't feel like drinking then Sometimes they act very like disappointed but Anyway, I'm gonna get drunk tonight. I'm having dinner with my friend Katie who's in town tomorrow I have a lunch, I'm busting my friend out of work and we're like going to a fancy lunch and getting martinis after. So Kate, young friend of the pod told me to, everybody's by the way been sending me really great advice on my hormonal acne. I've started to drink spearmint tea. I'd look for spearmint capsules, couldn't find them very well. rare. So I started drinking spearmint tea, which apparently helps regulate hormones. And I think it's already working. It's a little bit hard to find 'cause everything's peppermint. Don't get peppermint, get spearmint. And the trick is, the hack, if you will, is to get sleepy time tea because that has spearmint and it's one of the few like mass tea brands with spearmint and it's usually the first or second ingredient. So get your sleepy time. time tea and that's been helpful. And then Kate Young told me to get charcoal pills. So I've been like trying to remember to take a charcoal pill before and after drinking. So we'll see. Okay, is that your product of the week? Yeah. Our podcast is produced by Jonathan Corman of friend of the pod and edited by A .J. Moseley. We are on Patreon at patreon .com /iwitnessbeauty. We will be releasing monthly bonus episodes there where we -- it's just more unfiltered. It's just this. More -- it's just this, but more, but with the volume turned up. If you've ever finished an episode of "I Witness" and been like, "I wish there was another new episode on right now." that I could listen to then you should probably subscribe to our page and and we're also releasing all of our video episodes so knowing that podcasting is become a visual medium that's where you can find our visual medium and by the way give us some feedback on the videos because they take a long time to edit and I don't really want to be doing all of that if you guys don't care so patrons patrons make yourselves heard What do you want to see with video? And with that we bid you adieu. We'll see you next week